Even though he's the world's greatest detective, Batman is the biggest mystery in the Arrowverse. Since Bruce Wayne and his alter ego abruptly disappeared three years ago, Gotham City flailed without its Dark Knight. In Batman's absence, his cousin Kate Kane has subsequently taken on the mantle of Batwoman to become the city's protector while still contemplating what became of Bruce. With the upcoming television crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" bringing together the Arrowverse's heroes in an adventure for the fate of the entire DC TV Multiverse, Kate may gain vital clues that will help her determine exactly what happened to her world's Bruce Wayne.
One of the most surprising reveals in the lead-up to the crossover is that the Kingdom Come universe's Bruce Wayne will be making an appearance, portrayed by fan-favorite Batman actor Kevin Conroy in his live-action debut as a version of the Dark Knight With his body broken by his constant crusade to defend Gotham City from evil, this world's Bruce relegates himself to the Batcave to remotely continue his war on crime from afar and is only ambulatory through the use of a visible exosuit.
The newest promo for the eagerly anticipated crossover has revealed that Batwoman will come face-to-face with a vision of her cousin from this alternate world. Conroy himself has since confirmed that his role in the crossover largely has him playing off Ruby Rose's Kate Kane and Melissa Benoist's Kara Zor-El, and his hero is slated to meet with the two Arrowverse heroes in the second part of the crossover.
While the exact nature of Batwoman and Supergirl's meeting with the Kingdom Come Batman and his role in saving the DCT V Multiverse is still currently unknown, his inevitable conversation with Kate could inform her world when she returns to her incarnation of Gotham City. Even just some words of encouragement and validation might help her continue her own battle to save the city, especially with her long-lost sister Alice continues her bloody rampage leading the Wonderland Gang.
But perhaps more intriguingly, the arrival of Conroy's Batman potentially signals a reversal in the moratorium on physically depicting Batman on-screen. A report earlier this year during the production of Batwoman's first season had revealed that the series -- and The CW overall -- had initially been banned from physically depicting the Caped Crusader. The introduction of Conroy's Batman, while exercising a loophole with the character visibly out of the costume and from an alternate world, suggests that the character may not be as off-limits to the network as he previously appeared.
While Batwoman's investigation into Bruce Wayne's whereabouts has taken a back seat as the Wonderland Gang has moved closer to her family, Batwoman's time on the Kingdom Come Earth could pave the way for more development on the final fate of her cousin. With threats to her city and the entire Multiverse, Kate has certainly had her hands full as she settles into the role of Batwoman. And maybe, the clues she needs to gain additional insight into the mystery of Bruce Wayne may come from another world altogether.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" begins Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Supergirl, then continues in Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. After the winter hiatus, the crossover will conclude on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in Arrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
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